RED BANK — Red Bank Police this Saturday will participate in Operation Take Back, a state-sponsored initiative allowing the public to safely dispose of used, unwanted and expired medications and prescriptions.

The program will be conducted at police headquarters, 90 Monmouth St., from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 26.

The goal of the program is have law enforcement use secure and environmentally sound methods of disposing of the medications, preventing them from falling into the hands of juveniles or into the illicit markets.

Since the program was enacted in 2009 more than 400 police departments and other law enforcement agencies have collected more than 9,000 pounds of unused medication, according to the New Jersey Division of the federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).